October 13, 2011

After reading the article Hacked! in The Atlantic (November 2011), I looked into Google's new security feature called 2-Step Verification (a.k.a. Two Factor Authentication).

This new extra layer of security--adding "something you have" to "something you know"--to your sign in credentials helps to better protect you and your information in Google (i.e. in the Google cloud), including your emails, documents, and applications.

While a little extra work to login to Google--you have to type in a verification code that Google sends or calls to your phone (this is the something you have), it provides an extra layer of defense against hackers, criminals, and identity thieves.

To protect your Smartphone, Google provides "Application-specific passwords" that you generate from the 2-Step Verification screen and then you enter those into the specific iPhone, Droid, or Blackberry device.

You can sign up for 2-Step Verification from your Google Account Settings page and help protect yourself, your information, and your privacy.

In the future, I hope that Google (and other cloud vendors) will improve on this and use biometrics, to add "something you are," to the authentication process and make this even sleeker and more secure yet.

Total Pageviews on Blogger App

Follow by Email

Pages

About Me

Andy Blumenthal is a dynamic, award-winning leader with 30 years of experience delivering results across the public and private sectors.

Blumenthal is Deputy Chief Operating Officer at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. Previously, served progressively as Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of State, Global Information Services; Chief Technology Officer, U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and Chief Enterprise Architect, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Coast Guard and Secret Service.

Blumenthal has been honored with the Department of State's Meritorious Award, Department of Homeland Security's Excellence Award, CIO's Ones to Watch Award, and listed as one of the Top 25 Information Managers, Top 70 Federal Tech Pros, and Top 100 Social CIOs. Blumenthal is a recognized expert in organizational transformation who shares his best practices as an adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University, at his former column with Public CIO Magazine, and at his popular blog, The Total CIO. Blumenthal is known for spearheading best practices including: Leadership with Heart, The CIO Support Services Framework, and User-centric Enterprise Architecture.